As we expected, the launch of the HTC G1 with Google's Android OS has highlighted the fact that T-Mobile's 3G network lacks coverage in a few tiny towns and hamlets, like oh, the cozy metropolis of Washington DC. The Washington Post discovers a 3G phone isn't so much fun without a 3G network: the Post saying DC locals can go into T-Mobile shops and tinker with the phone, but they can't buy one. In fact, T-Mobile won't won't sell the G1 at stores outside a 2-5 mile radius of their 3G coverage area, though you can buy one online and suffer through slower EDGE connectivity (usually around 200kbps on average, if the planets are aligned).

T-Mobile gets brown nosing points while explaining to the Post why they're so late in deploying 3G services:

Quote:

"This is first time we had to move federal government systems from spectrum," said Kathleen Ham, vice president of Federal regulatory affairs for T-Mobile. "They were not slow to move, but were surprised how fast we wanted to move."

You see it wasn't because the government was annoyingly slow to vacant $4 billion worth of spectrum that no longer belonged to them, it was that T-Mobile had the nerve to want to quickly resolve the fact they have been a 3G laughing stock. The company insists they'll have DC up and running by late November, at which time they promise to have 120 cities live. If DC is struggling to get online, you can imagine how spotty coverage across rural America and second tier cities is.